Potato harvester



Jan, 20, 1931. H. E. LARINAN 1,789,527

POTATO HARVESTER Filed June 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \M \N a RN w FIIIIIIIIIIL wwumwwwunm u mm FHHHHI I IHHHHH j um T INVENTOR ATTO NEY Jan. 20, 1931.

H. E. LARINAN 1,789,527

POTATO HARVESTER Filed June 25, 1928 3 Shets-Sheet 5 INVENTOI ATTOR NE\ under the central portion of the conveyor frame 9 and'the upper end is supported by the uprights 26. The lower roller23 has its journals "adjustably supported through the meansshown generally at 27 and a chute 28 directs the potatoes falling from the front partfof the conveyor in the frame 9 on to the elevator. An endless belt 29 is supported on the rollers 30, the pintles of which are journaled'in the uprights 26 and the uprights 26..

one roller having its pintles adjustable through the meanswhich are generally shown ranged as to deposit thepotatoes traveling up the same upon the front portion ofthis a belt so that the'potatoes will roll down the same 'towardthe rear end of the machine as they travel from left to right along the blade.

7 Thus any clods of earth or the likewill move alongwith the belt and drop ofi the upper end of the same, while the potatoes will roll down the belt under the action of gravity and I drop off thelrear edge of the belt into a sack C having its lower endresting uponthe plat- -i-form,8 and its upper end engaging the hooks 32 on a frame 33 attached to the uprights 26' i As shown in Figure 2, I provide two of these 35 frames for supporting two sacks so that one sack can be removed after it is filled,*while the potatoesare being'discharged into the other sack.= In order to directthe potatoes Q into one-sackor the other, I provide an ad .:-40 :justable deflector member 34 which is pivoted at'its. rear end toa cross piece- 35zformin a part of the uprights 26 so'that this mem r can be moved from the full line position to the; dotted line position shown in Figure 2 todirect the potatoes into either sack. A second deflector member 36 is arrangedto exsprocket 46 fastened to the upper shaft of the conveyor Bso as to operate this elevator and said shaft is extended, as shown at 47, and is connected with the pintle of theright hand roller 30 of the belt '29 by the gears t8so that the beltis driven from the axle.

'From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means for removing the potatoes from the vines andelevating the potatoes to a separator, which separates clods of dirt and the'likefroni'thepotatoes and deposits the potatoes into sacks as device'travel along.

It is-thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be'readily apparent.

the digger and the I It 'is' to be understood that I may make changes in the'construction and in the combi'. nation andarrangementof'the several parts,

scope of the appended claim.

l/Vhat I claim is In I a potato fharvester, a vine stripping mechanism comprisingan inclined frame, an endless conveyor mounted for travel therein and including endless chains and slats extending transverselybetween the chains, rollprovided that such chan es"- fall within the ers mounted in the frame for rotation, an endless belt trained about'the rollers and having itslower stretch in'jcontact with the slats at:

the upper stretch of the conveyor, the said belt being caused to travel by its frictional contact with the said slats, the slats being so spaced as to permit the potatoes, deposited on the conveyor, to drop between the slats as.

the vines are carried between the lower conveyor stretch and the inner one of the rollers, the slats constituting means for conducting the vines, and a bararranged transversely beneath theupper stretch of the conveyor for engagement by he potatoes to effect their 'detachment from the vines.

In testimony whereof I aifiirmy signature. 7 i E. LARINAN.

' tend over a portion ofthe belt at the righthand end thereof to prevent the potatoes i pass'ing from thisendof thebelt, this deflec-Z" iii: 50 tor being in alignment with the defiector'34 .whe'nsaid deflector 341s in its right hand .vpositiOn.

Asprockelt 37 is attached to the aide 2 and 1 i r A'a chain 38 passes over this sprocket and over 1. 5s .a sprocket 39, and a shaft 40 which is jour-.

na-led in the rear partofthe frame 9 and this:

I --,;,"shaft is connected with one of thepintles of y: the right hand shaftllby the gears 41 so that the conveyorin the frame 9 isdriven fromthe' 11w ;axle as the device travels along; e

A stub shaft 42, carried by one of the side pieces 25 of the elevatorB is connected with I the shaft 40 by the gears43 and a sprocket 44 is fastened to thisstub' shaft. 9 A chain 45 05 passes over this "sprocket 44 :and' over a .iso 

